Queen Marys from different centuries meet in Long Beach harbor

Queen Mary welcomes her young sister Queen Mary 2 (QM2) to Long Beach Harbor using her fog horns. QM2 replies with her identical horns. 23rd February 2006.
Photo from the picture story on LA Times.com

With horn blasts heard for miles, the Queen Mary 2 and its historic namesake exchanged first-ever greetings Thursday as the world's largest ocean liner paid tribute to an elegant dowager that once took movie stars across the Atlantic in style

The QM2 sounded its horn three times and the old Queen Mary responded in a ceremony in Long Beach harbor, where the 1934 vessel has been docked at a tourist attraction and hotel for nearly 40 years

The immense new liner entered the harbor surrounded by sailboats and yachts. An air force of news helicopters flew overhead and a fireboat spouted water. Airplanes wrote "Hail to the Queen" in the blue sky

Thousands of people lined the channel walkway for well over a mile and swarmed the decks of the old liner as its super size 21st century successor arrived, top decks towering over shoreline roofs while still far off

"I love the sound she makes," said Cynthia Chapman, 69, of Sevenoaks, Kent, England, who was visiting her sister-in-law in California. "It's really awe-inspiring," she said. "You couldn't help waving with both arms

Mimi Scully, 73, of Lakewood, Calif., recalled seeing the original Queen Mary pull into Halifax, Nova Scotia, during World War II. "It's so exciting and exhilarating to see," said Scully, who canceled an appointment to see the historic meeting. "Oh my heavens, nostalgia of course is with the Queen, but then this second one it has five pools and 17 decks," she said. "I can't imagine. It's like seeing something come out of a storybook.

During the ceremony, the QM2 rotated 360 degrees and again exchanged horn blasts. It was to depart later on a cruise to Mexico with about 2,500 guests.

A day earlier, the $800 million ship arrived at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles on its first West Coast visit.

The QM2, launched in 2004, shares the black, white and red paint of the original but is 113 feet longer. Both were built by the Cunard Line, originally based in Britain but now located in Santa Clarita, Calif., and owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp.

The first Queen Mary was launched in 1934 and when it sailed in 1936 was considered the last word in elegance for trans-Atlantic crossings. The Art Deco masterpiece ferried the likes of Bob Hope and the Duke of Windsor. During World War II it was a troop ship and also carried British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to meetings. The ship was sold to Long Beach in 1967 and arrived there that December. It is now a hotel and museum but has financial troubles. Queen's Seaport Development Inc., which leases the ship from the city, filed for bankruptcy protection in March after the city demanded more than $3 million in back rent.

Brenda and Tom McDonald of Arcadia, Calif., recalled the old ship's arrival in Long Beach amid a throng of boats. "Sailors on board were throwing out knives and forks and silver tureens out of the portholes to the surrounding ships," said Brenda, 69.

The QM2, as tall as a 23-story building and 1,132 feet long, is designed for 21st century tourists rather than trans-Atlantic travelers. While it still makes Atlantic crossings, most destinations are in the Pacific and Caribbean.

It will lose its ranking as the world's largest passenger ship in May, when Royal Caribbean International christens the Freedom of the Seas.